


Hogwarts Sometime in the 18th Century

by Silverfox



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 15:05:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16976856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverfox/pseuds/Silverfox
Summary: Just sending some historical people from the Napoleonic Wars to Hogwarts. ... What?





	1. Unconventional?

Unconventional?

"Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Mr. Bagus looked at his wife significantly.

"Well, yes," Mrs Bagus admitted. "You will remember that I told you that my first husband was ... unconventional. He did warn me our children would most likely inherit ... the ability. But when this letter never arrived for Cordelia, I hoped ..."

"You realise that my parish must under no circumstances find out about this," the reverend said. "And yet. ... I cannot, I will not suffer our son to return to that school."

He still shuddered at the memory of the scars his stepson's overly flogg-happy headmaster had left on the boy's tender skin. He'd boarded some of the worst troublemakers of the local college over the years and never seen anything this bad. And yet, by all reports, John was considered an unusually quiet and obedient boy at his school. This description also matched his own observations. No, he could not suffer a child in his care to attend that school.

"A scholarship from another school would be a godsend right now," he allowed. "If only John had done a little better in the exam."

He just couldn't afford Winchester college's tuition fees, but it would not look good to send his son to another school while continuing to take in Winchester boarders.

"And a school for magic at that! Not to mention that witchcraft implies that they teach girls in the same school!"

"Surely they do not!" Mrs Bagus exclaimed. "They will be separate buildings in close vicinity that are sponsored by the same charity. I cannot imagine my first husband's parents allowing their children to attend there otherwise."

"You are right. I should have thought of this. Perhaps, if we allow it to become known that we cannot afford Winchester college, everyone will assume that John will continue at Christ's Hospital. That would not be a lie. You are absolutely sure that that school had no adverse effect on Mr. Colborne's immortal soul and gentlemanly conduct?"

 

"Am I still intended for the church then, Sir?" John Colborne asked calmly when his father informed him of the change in his educational arrangements.

His father! It still seemed almost unbelievable that he finally had a father. That had been his biggest wish ever since his original father had died when he'd been only six years old. And this one was even better than the first. He took time to talk with him and had taken him fishing and sometimes even played chess with him!

"We shall see," Mr. Bagus allowed. "I am not quite sure whether it would be appropriate yet."

"I ... would not mind the army, Sir," Colborne dared to suggest.

Mr. Bagus hummed and hemmed a little. "You are of an age when boys dream of daring deeds and adventure," ha said finally. "But it may not seem as desirable once you are a man. Besides we should not forget that we have no connections in that profession. Without interest or money you would not have much of a career. I doubt that my sister would wish to engage the interest of her husband's distant connections in your favour. In any case we should also consider the law if it comes to that."

"Yes, Sir," John agreed placidly, hiding his disappointment.

"But let us assume that you are still intended to follow in my footsteps for the time being," Mr. Bagus continued. "That would be the most pleasing solution to both myself and your mother."

"Oh yes, Sir!" Colborne exclaimed. It was certainly preferable to the law as far as he was concerned. "I never meant to imply that I wouldn't be best pleased serving the Lord. I only meant to let you know, that, if it is inappropriate, I would not mind the army as an alternative."

He was a little disappointed, but Colborne was used to things not going his way and he'd had several strokes of extremely good luck lately. Becoming a soldier and getting to live in walking distance from his mother until he did would have been simply too good to be true. He'd settle for escaping from the hated school in London he'd had to attend ever since he'd been seven years old. Only a year ago he wouldn't have dared to dream of that.

As for learning magic, Colborne wasn't quite sure what he thought of it, but then one had to take things as they came and make the best of them. Most likely knowing magic was useful in any case.


	2. Leviticus?

Leviticus?

It was not a very auspicious start, Colborne decided while he watched the post chaise roll off again with his mother's maid - the only familiar face in all of Scotland - inside. From here on he was without even a servant to lift his trunk into the carriage the school was supposed to send to fetch him and the three other students from Muggle families that had arrived in the same chaise.

Colborne glanced over at them, but they were still ignoring him. All three - two girls and one boy - looked to be several years older than him and they all knew each other. Nor did the boy seem to be inclined to bother with a pathetic little first year. Colborne knew him by type even though he hadn't overheard his name yet.

The older girl had looked slightly concerned earlier when she'd noticed him watching them, but Colborne had quickly turned his back on her. He didn't need the other boys at the school to find out that he'd been helped by a girl. They'd think he was some spoiled baby that had never been away from home before and needed mothering and ridicule him for it for years.

No, there was no help here. He'd just have to trail along in silence until he found someone in charge or a fellow newcomer.

Time passed. Another post chaise arrived. This one on another road. A group of laughing young men and one young woman got out. One held open the door for her, one assisted her to get off by holding her hand and the third and youngest got stuck with the job of unloading all their luggage. If any of them saw Colborne at all, they weren't aware of his presence.

But at least he didn't have to wait much longer. The post chaise had only just disappeared around the next bend in the road when a black carriage with the school crest on its doors rolled up and soon the three young men and young woman's trunks had been loaded in and the younger students heaved theirs in after them. Colborne couldn't lift his trunk that high, but luckily the driver got off and roughly snatched it away from him to speed things up and left Colborne with only his birdcage to carry. Lucullus sat inside thin and silent. He hated being swung about so much.

"Don't worry," Colborne assured him. "We'll be there soon. Then I'll find you a nice bedside table or commode to put you on."

Lucullus didn't reply and the older boys laughed, but they had been doing that all the time since he'd first seen them, so hopefully it didn't mean anything.

Colborne turned away from them to look out the window as they rolled out of the village.

 

The ride was shorter than expected and ended at a coach house in the middle of nowhere. The older students jumped out, waved heir wands at their luggage which floated out obediently causing Colborne's heavy trunk to bounce and clatter to the ground as the trunks it had been resting on rose and floated off at different times and in different directions.

Colborne hastened to right it and when he looked up again the coachman had disappeared and the other students were walking away on a dirt-tack into the woods.

There was no servant in sight anywhere. Colborne hastily grabbed his birdcage and trunk and dragging the latter behind him tried to catch up to the other students. He did not want to be left alone in the forest. It wasn't that he didn't think that he'd find the school eventually - after all, how far from the coach house could it be - but the forest itself scared him a little. It had been a long time since he'd last been in such a rural area having been living in his London school for most of the year almost as long as he could remember.

Unfortunately the other students were unencumbered by heavy trunks and could therefore move much faster. Colborne soon lost sight of them and had to follow the path and the sound of their voices. Luckily there were no side paths in the direction of the voices and after half-jumping, half-tumbling down a number of steps Colborne suddenly found himself in front of a short pier in a lake with a huge castle behind it.

Several boats were crossing the water, moving away from the pier at a good pace. Colborne stared at the pier in dismay. Sure, there was another boat bobbing on the waves at its end, but how could he get his trunk in without upsetting it?

He could swim and thought he'd probably make it across without a boat if he tried, but there was no way he could swim his trunk and birdcage across. They’d probably sink if he tried, getting all his luggage wet and drowning poor Lucullus.

He took a few steps forward inspecting the pier to see whether there was anything here that he might use to hoist up the trunk when there was a sudden yelp somewhere behind him, and something slammed hard into his back sending both him and the thing tumbling forward and almost over the edge of the pier.

What the?

Colborne managed to extricate himself from what turned out to be a tangle of two boys and one ... broomstick? ... first. He took a step back then reached out a hand to assist the other boy, a wiry little scrap of what Colborne assumed to be about eight years in torn up robes and with a badly scratched face and hands.

Apparently he wasn't seriously hurt however as he was grinning widely.

"Hello," he said by way of thanks and apology. "Are you a new student? I'm Harry."

"I'm Colborne, John Colborne."

He wasn't quite sure whether Harry even heard him, though, because apparently he'd just caught sight of Lucullus.

"Is that an owl?" he asked a little doubtfully.

"An owl? Of course not. That's my canary."

"What's a canary? Does he carry your mail? He looks too small to carry packages, and don't the owls try to eat him?"

"No," Colborne sighed, reminding himself that little boys often got strange ideas and didn't like to be laughed at. "It's pigeons that can carry mail. Canaries sing. Say, do you know how to make a trunk float?"

It seemed doubtful considering Harry's age, but you never knew. He did appear to be wizardborn at least, so perhaps he already knew some simple spells.

"You man levitate it?" Harry asked eagerly. "I know that spell! It's lviatas, or levito, - something like that. I'm sure I can do it. I've seen my father do it hundreds of times. I don't have a wand, though."

"Well," said Colborne, opened his trunk and took out his wand. The things inside were in disarray after all the bouncing, dropping and dragging, but nothing appeared to have suffered any permanent harm. "I have a wand," he took it out and wisely closed the trunk again before holding it out to Harry. "But I don't know any spells and I need to float my trunk over this lake."

"No problem," Harry promised. "Why don't you know any spells, though? I thought the Colbornes are an old family? Couldn't your house-elf shrink your trunk for you?"

Shrink?!

"My mother is a Muggle," Colborne explained. "And my new father, too. My other father, the one that was magical, died. I can't remember him at all, so if he ever showed me any spells, I suppose I must have been too young to ... Is something wrong?"

"You are ... that Colborne's son."

Colborne looked at Harry blankly.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. As you said, he's dead and you can't remember him." He turned to the trunk. "Levitatus!"

The trunk didn't do anything.

"Leviatus!" It bounced a little.

"Levitus!" A pine cone bounced off Harry's forehead.

"Leviticus?" Colborne suggested solemnly, but his eyes were dancing.

"Leviticus!" Harry shouted brandishing Colborne's wand at the trunk.

It opened and Colborne's bible floated out and opened itself in front of Harry's face. The boys looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"I think," Colborne said once he had calmed down enough to speak again. "That you probably had it right the second time. It did bounce then. Most likely my wand just isn't right for you. The wandmaker did tell me they have to be custom made."

"Another wizard's wand ought to work for simple spells like this," Harry insisted, then looked down at the wand in his hand,the open trunk and the floating bible. "But maybe you have to learn it with your own wand first."

"Well," Colborne said and held out his hand to take back the wand. "I don't think this is getting us anywhere. What do new students normally do, if they can't levitate their trunks yet?"

"I don't know. I think their house-elves or parents take care of it somehow. But I suppose your mother doesn't keep a house-elf? I think Muggles dislike them or something."

"No, we definitely don't have one, whatever they are."

"We could ride Daddy's broom," Harry suggested. "But I cannot land all that well, yet, and you'd have to somehow hold on to me, the trunk and the singing bird at the same time."

Colborne glanced at the broom. "I have only two hands," he pointed out.

"I can fly back and ask Daddy to come and fetch you."

"Is he ... the headmaster?" Colborne asked nervously. His old headmaster would probably have flogged any student that asked him to come and fetch him from anywhere.

"No, he's the school surgeon. Only, I think he's gone to London to buy some supplies so it might take a while. Mummy could probably come, if the baby is asleep."

"Maybe we can just lift it into the boat together," Colborne suggested.

They tried to lift it, but Harry was even weaker than Colborne and dropped his end again much too soon.

"It's no use," he decided. "We need a house-elf. ELF!"

There was a popping sound and an ugly gnome-like creature appeared next to the trunk.

"Yes, master? What can ... Oh! Does master want Polly to take his luggage to his dorm?" she looked absolutely delighted by the idea.

"Oh yes please, Polly, if it isn't too much ..."

Popp! and Polly, the trunk and the bird cage with Lucullus were gone.

"Never mind," Harry advised. "If they're not in your dorm when you get there, all you need to do is call for Polly again."

And why hadn't they just done that in the first place?

"Can I ride in the boat with you? I've always wanted to do that."

So the boys climbed into the boat while Harry happily prattled on about his father not allowing him to just borrow a boat for fun and his big brother who hadn't gotten to ride a boat despite being in his second year already and a sister who'd fallen into the lake once.

Another boat popped out from under theirs as they cast off and somehow started to glide over the lake without paddles or sails and ... hold on what was that?

"Just how many siblings do you have?"

"Oh, only ten," Harry replied easily. "Five sisters and five brothers."

"And you all live in the school?"

Harry nodded. "It's wonderful. We never have to worry about being seen by Muggles and there's the lake and the forest and the Quidditch field ..."


	3. Preferences?

Preferences?

From the inside the school appeared even larger than it had looked from across the lake, but luckily Harry knew every corner of it and was well aware which sights were most attractive to the Muggle raised, and so Colborne spent the next three hours conversing with magical paintings from the days of the Roman Empire, admiring the Quidditch field and learning all the best places to watch the central staircase change positions.

"The best sight of all is the ceiling of the Great Hall, but they are setting up for the banquet there and don't want us underfoot. They already kicked me out of there twice today and then I was actually helping, not just looking."

"Banquet?" Colborne prompted.

"Oh yes, there's always a banquet after the sorting. Didn't you know?"

Colborne's old school had been more likely to welcome new students with the sight of an older classmate chained to the wall in punishment for some infraction.

"Sorting?"

"That's when they decide what house to put you in. I'm not really sure how they decide, but you only have to put on an old hat and then it says where you belong."

"House?"

"There are four houses, named after the founders of the school. Each has a different master with a different way of teaching and different preferences in what he teaches and you're supposed to go to the one where you'll learn best. Most of my family is or was in Ravenclaw, but my sister's in Hufflepuff and says she likes it much better. Daddy says obviously she would, because she fits in there better, or else the hat wouldn't have put her there. And he says I'm never a Ravenclaw, but never mind, because he doesn't mind where I go, only I can't be a surgeon like him, because I'm way too vivacious and wouldn't like it. But I don't want to be one anyway, so ..."

Colborne smiled and just listened to him prattle on for a while.

"My parents intend me for the church," he revealed finally. "Is it appropriate for a wizard to ..."

"Then they'll want you in Ravenclaw," Harry supplied happily. "But Hufflepuff has been known to produce excellent pastors and monks as well. The charitable kind more than the preaching one, though. I kind of like those better, too, so maybe that means I'm going to be a Hufflepuff like my sister. Wouldn't it be nice, if we could both be Hufflepuffs together?"

"I'm not sure I want to preach either," Colborne admitted. "Charitable work sounds more appealing, but I doubt my family would approve of it. We aren't very rich, you see. And I don't think there's much adventure in either. I'd like to be a soldier, but my father disapproves."

"But your father is dead ... Oh, you mean your stepfather? I suppose you must like him a lot, if you care about his approval. I'd just go after my own heart. Hey, I think, I'd like to be a soldier, too, but then we shouldn't be Hufflepuffs, we should be Gryffindors."

"Do they let us choose that?" It hadn't sounded that way to Colborne before.

"No, the hat chooses," Harry admitted. "But it might put both of us in Gryffindor. I'd like us to be in the same house."

"But I thought you aren't starting yet?"

"No," Harry hung his head for a moment. "I have to wait another year. But we can still be friends, can't we?"

Colborne smiled a little. "Of course."

 

About thirty nervous newcomers - both boys and girls - gathered in the front of the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony.

"There seem to be more and more every year," Colborne overheard one staff-member remark. "If this trend continues we will soon require either a fifth house or four more masters."

The old students sat at four long tables - each with the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Colborne's mother would probably have removed him from the school immediately had she been able to see this.

Harry and his siblings, and what had to be the children of the other staff members, were sitting at a smaller table in a dark corner at the far end of the hall, but Harry was nevertheless waving at him happily and might well have jumped up and joined the group in the front, if the girl sitting next to him hadn't had the presence of mind to catch hold of his arm and hold on tightly.

And then, much to Colborne's astonishment, the sorting hat opened its, no his!, brim and began to sing:

Welcome children to this hall  
built here to unite you all,  
but as you are of different stations,  
talents, goals and inclinations,  
one path cannot serve you all.

Therefore we have houses four  
separate halls lead from our door  
and I am now called on to set  
each of you on the right track  
pick house and master but no more.

The rest you do by your own learning  
family's choice or personal yearning.  
While each house favours certain trades  
each can lead you different ways  
I don't foretell the end of your learning.

Ravenclaw through Latin declination,  
Ancient Greek texts and memorisation  
has formed many a churchman, lawyer,  
tutors, poets - at least one sawyer!  
There you go, if bookish is your inclination.

To Gryffindor if your preferring  
is to perform deeds of gallant daring.  
Many an explorer, soldier, sailor  
oh, and last decade an excellent tailor!  
came from the house of brave and daring.

While in Hufflepuff you always will  
find those of patience, strength and skill.  
Famous for farmers, surgeons and wandmakers  
and let's not forget a fine pair of lawmakers!  
This kindly house's done no child ill.

Finally Slytherin for the perceptive minds  
of patient planners, orators, various kinds  
of politicians, strategists and horse sellers  
as well as the occasional fortune tellers!  
fine folk all, old and well born wizard's lines.

So come and hear where you belong  
and maybe try to prove me wrong.

 

"Abbot, George!" an old wizard in blue robes called out and a round-faced boy walked to the hat to be sorted.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat announced after only a moment.

"Baker, Elizabeth!" took a little longer, but finally ended up in Gryffindor.

"Colborne, John!"

He walked forward calmly, not glancing at Harry who seemed to be bouncing up and down on his bench. Never let them see that anything can make you nervous. It was the first rule he'd learned - the hard way - at his old school. Almost five full years later he was now able to control his features and body almost perfectly and sat down as if he were sorted every day.

The hat fell over his head muffling the sound of impatient, but mostly disciplined students trying not to wriggle about too much.

"Hm ..." a little voice said at length. "Do you have any preferences?"

"Preferences?" Colborne whispered hoping not to be overheard by the blue-robed wizard. "Didn't you just sing that you would sort us based on our talents?"

"Ah, my young friend, but I also said you may prove me wrong, and few people have only one significant characteristic. As for you ... I see your family would like to see you in the church, yes. Ravenclaw would be best suited to give you the Latin you need for that, but you do not have much interest in Latin, do you. Yet I see that, if you wanted to, you would make an excellent Ravenclaw. You could learn anything, you know, absolutely anything."

Colborne doubted that. Until now his teachers had always considered him a little slow.

"Ah, but you did that on purpose, didn't you? It would not have won you many friends to outperform your classmates. Still, a true Ravenclaw would not let that stand in his way and considering your parentage it would be an unfortunate match. Better to find you a master that ... has no history there."

Another mention of his father. Perhaps he ought to ask Harry what it was that he knew about this man that had always been a stranger to him.

"Yes, your father. I sorted him into Gryffindor quite easily, rash and brave as he was. Quite the textbook case - though even he could have gone into Hufflepuff as well. And you certainly have the bravery of a Gryffindor, even though academically you'd be quite bored there and your forethought and reservation would confuse them. Still, if you like Gryffindor for family tradition's sake? Ah no, I see you feel very little connection with your father and following in his footsteps might rouse his enemies against you where your personality and disinterest might not."

What enemies?

"What about Hufflepuff then? It is certainly viewed as the least threatening house, devoted to kindness and friendship as Hufflepuffs usually are, and I see much kindness in you. Yes, you care about friendship and loyalty very much. But on the other hand, like the Gryffindors most Hufflepuffs are uncomplicated souls, outgoing, honest and of little ambition. Your ability to pretend what you do not feel, your self-control, your thirst for recognition - oh yes, you have that - these are Slytherin traits. And Slytherin, while it will not focus so much on the classics will also prove intellectually stimulating."

"I do not care for intellectual stimulation."

"Oh, don't you?" Was the hat actually trying to stifle giggling?! "There is a price, though, Slytherin is the house with the largest number of untrustworthy students. They do know how to pretend, after all, and like many politicians they are often false. Of course, that is what you expect of your fellow students anyway. You are well used to it, but it is against your nature. And then we need to consider that Slytherin is also considered the most threatening of houses. It raises powerful opponents, you see. Your father's enemies will take notice."

If only the hat would tell him who those enemies were! How could he judge the danger he was in, if we didn't know who was threatening him and why?

"So now we have discussed four houses and you fit either all or none. So which shall it be?"

"Well, if you say Hufflepuff is the most harmless house, I really don't want anyone to perceive me as a threat."

"How very SLYTHERIN!"

It took all of Colborne's self-control to prevent himself from sputtering in indignation and walk calmly to the table the blue-robed wizard kindly pointed out to him. Nobody should see that he thought anything had gone amiss in his sorting.

 

"What took so long?" Apparently Harry had torn free from the girl's grip in the meantime.

"Oh, was that long?" Colborne asked, pretending not to have noticed.

"Yes, it was!" Harry insisted sitting down on the Slytherin boys' bench beside him. Backwards.

Some of the older students looked disapproving, but Harry didn't seem to see them at all.

"So what happened?"

"I don't know. The hat just told me why I do and don't fit into each house and when I ventured to suggest that Hufflepuff sounded like a good fit it said Slytherin. Maybe it just wanted me to pick some place so it could contradict me."

"It isn't usually that contrary," said an older boy that was sitting near them. "I asked for Slytherin and got Slytherin."

Colborne shrugged. "It's not like it makes any difference. They all sounded fine enough. I only picked one because the hat seemed to expect it."

"No difference!" exclaimed the boy sitting next to the first.

More eyes turned their way. Colborne tried to look as unremarkable as possible.

"I think," he whispered. "We're interrupting the ceremony."

"Oh no, you're not getting away with that excuse. I want to know how you dare claim there's no difference between Slytherin and Hufflepuff!" the boy demanded loudly.

"He didn't say that, Wellesley," the first boy pointed out. "He said it didn't make a difference to him which he was put in. And that, you have to admit, is just what the hat said in his song."

"Well, the hat may say so, but do you have any idea what my mother would have said, if I'd been sorted into Hufflepuff? Slytherin was bad enough!"

"So Mrs Colborne is less particular about her children's houses. You can't blame her son for that. Now be a good chap and sit down before your brother comes down and makes a big spectacle of himself."

This appeared to be a potent threat as Wellesley did indeed sit down albeit grudgingly.

"It's Mrs Bagus, by the way," Colborne explained. "She just remarried. And she doesn't mind which house I'm in, because she doesn't know anything about them."

"Colborne's a half-blood," Harry added by way of explanation. "And his father's dead, so he can't say anything about his house either."

"He was a Gryffindor, though," Colborne commented. "Or so the hat said."

"I'm sorry," the older boy said.

Wellesley demonstratively ignored them.

"Wellesley's father died last year," his friend continued. "He still misses him."

"I don't remember mine at all. He ..."

"Napier, George!"

"Shush!" hissed the older boy. "That's my brother."

A sturdy-looking dark haired boy sat on the sorting stool and the blue-robed wizard put the hat on him.

"Hufflepuff!" it announced almost immediately.

"Ah, damnit!" said the older Napier.

"That's unfortunate," commiserated Harry.

"Sorry," said Colborne wondering whether he should offer to switch places with George Napier.

"Oh, he'll be fine, I expect," Napier decided. "Our parents aren't as particular as Lady Mornington and the Hufflepuffs are pleasant enough. I would just have liked to have my brother closer. I'm sure you know what it's like."

"Well, your uncle will probably make sure it's no detriment to his future career," Wellesley mumbled.

"I'm afraid not," Colborne admitted. "I do not have a brother, you see. There's only my older sister and we've never gone to the same school. Well, and another sibling on the way, but by the time that one is old enough to start here ... well, he or she will be a Muggle anyway."

"I didn't know you had a sister!" Harry exclaimed once again attracting displeased looks, this time even from the staff table. Colborne sincerely hoped that this wouldn't have any more tangible consequences for either of them.

"What house is she in?" Napier asked politely.

"None, she never got a letter. That's why Mother wasn't prepared for mine at all."

"Oh," said Harry uncomfortably.

"A squib," said Napier. "That happens. But with a Muggle mother I'm sure she won't have much trouble finding her place in Muggle society."

"With old pureblood families it can be quite a problem, you see," he continued when Colborne just looked at him uncomprehendingly. "They usually don't have any Muggle relatives or close friends to recommend suitable schools or introduce the squib to the right sort of Muggles. So the poor things are left quite lost and alone in the world."

Just like Colborne had no living wizarding relatives who could introduce him to the right sort of wizards and recommend school houses? Would he end up all lost and alone in the wizarding world?

"I do wish I had a magical sibling, though," he said wistfully.

"You can borrow mine," Harry offered happily. "I'd love to be your brother and I'm sure my parents won't mind."

"Won't notice if they suddenly have one more, you mean," Napier laughed.


	4. Leftovers?

Leftovers?

After the sorting, which was short enough, there was a long speech by the headmaster.

"He's the Gryffindor master," Napier explained to Colborne. "So we don't see much of him except for meals."

"And punishments," Colburne suggested.

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "Oh no! He is really nice! I've never seen him punish anyone. I bet he never does."

"Considering the lack of discipline of Gryffindor house," Napier said. "I'm inclined to agree. Each house is usually disciplined by its own master."

"Even the girls?" Colborne asked scandalised. "The older girls?" Judging from their size some of the girls especially in Ravenclaw were old enough to have already left school and be out. What they were still doing here Colborne couldn't even guess.

"Why, of course," Napier said. "Everybody."

Then he grinned. "They're hit across the hands, of course. What kind of discipline did you expect?"

The sort he was used to from his old school of course. He knew that his father had been somewhat shocked when he'd found out about it, but he hadn't been surprised at children getting flogged per se. It had been the frequency and number of strokes that the kind reverend hat thought excessive.

He was in for yet another surprise when the food appeared on the tables by magic and everybody started serving themselves whatever they wanted and in whatever amount they wanted.

"You mean we can just eat as much as we want? The food isn't counted out?" It certainly looked like there was more here than all the students together could possibly eat, rather than less than they needed.

"Why of course," said Harry who had by now turned the right way around, around a mouthful of beef. "Do Muggles have to pay extra for food at their schools or something?"

"No, but there was only ever just enough for everybody," Colborne explained. "So whenever someone took more than his proper share someone else had to go hungry."

"Well, there are always plenty of leftovers here," Harry said and pushed another slice of meat onto Colborne's plate. "So there's no reason to be shy."

"Leftovers?"

"They aren't wasted," Wellesley finally spoke again and in an almost approving tone. "They are given to the house elves and other servants."

Well, that was alright then, Colborne decided.

He wasn't sure what to make of Wellesley, yet. Napier however appeared to be nice enough and none of the older students had shown surprise or dismay at him talking with a first year. Even Harry seemed to amuse the older Slytherins more than annoy them and Colborne resolved that he would probably not get in trouble over befriending a boy only one year younger than himself. Such friendships might be common enough considering that every year only three to four new boys appeared to join each house. It stood to reason that they weren't always of compatible interests and tempers and might look for more fitting friends in the preceding or following years.

 

The Slytherin prefects, one girl and one boy, both to Colborne's surprise only fifth years, led them to the Slytherin common room, a comfortable sitting-room in the dungeons from which two side doors led to the dorms.

Harry was not allowed in here, though and after a failed attempt to convince the prefect gave up with a sigh, then spontaneously hugged Colborne good-night and ran back towards the stairs before the older boy recovered from his surprise.

The prefect sighed as well.

"You will get used to the surgeon's children," he then informed the first years. "They are left to run wild all over the school. That one is the worst of the lot, though, and I don't think he means to be troublesome."

 

The dorm itself was smaller than Colborne was used to, two rows of only ten beds each. Just like in his old school the youngest boys slept closest to the door, but he was lucky to have the second bed in his row, so if the custom of turning out and flogging the two boys closest to the door, if there was any talking after curfew was practised here as well, at least he would not have to suffer for the older students' misbehaviour.

He found his trunk at the foot of his bed and Lucullus in his cage which was mounted on a hook in the wall ... which had to have been hastily installed specifically for Lucullus as Colborne couldn't see any other hooks near any of the other beds.

"The house elves will have put it there so the cats won't be able to reach the cage," Napier supposed.

Indeed there were several cats in the room. Colborne frowned at a particularly athletic-looking tabby.

"The house elves also put spells on our pets that prevent them from harming each other, so you don't have to fear for your owl's life, if he does get out of the cage or one of the cats manages to get up there," the prefect added. "This is just so the cats won't scare him."

For the second time that day Colborne found himself explaining the difference between canaries and owls.

"They are songbirds," he finished, remembering that this had satisfied Harry.

"Why would you want to keep a songbird?" Wellesley sneered at him. "They aren't even any use."

"Can't you imagine what would have happened, if I'd brought an owl to my Muggle school?" Colborne challenged.

It turned out that Wellesley could not. He had never even seen a Muggle school and didn't know that Muggles didn't keep owls.

"Well, now you know, and that is why," Colborne claimed.

There was no need to tell anyone that Lucullus had been bought to keep him company, because he'd been afraid of leaving home when he was seven. Not when everybody here seemed to consider it perfectly normal to bring a pet to school.

 

No adult appeared in the dorm all night, or if one did, he was quiet enough that Colborne slept through it. It seemed to be up to the prefects to enforce curfew.

Wellesley reacted only with a very grumpy look when Colborne wished him a good morning and so Colborne decided not to attach himself to him and Napier again. The other two first year boys didn't seem to want a third around either, which forced him to wander along to breakfast on his own.

The moment he reached the great hall however Harry rushed up to him with a squeal of delight and a long tale about what he and his sister planned to do today and did Colborne want to come along?

"Maybe," said Colborne cautiously. "If I have finished my lessons and the master lets me go."

The Slytherin classroom was longer and wider than Colborne was used to and well lit by candles and torches that seemed never to burn down.

The benches looked somewhat strange, as if they had been stretched somehow to allow for room for more students.

"First years in the first bench," the prefect explained. "Girls on the left side, boys on the right."

Right under the master's eyes then. That was a little uncomfortable, but the bench had room for five students so at least they wouldn't be crowded.

What was more disquieting was that Colborne didn't know any of the students near him. The other two first years, still too taken up with each other hadn't bothered to introduce themselves and Napier and Wellesley were back in the third row as a quick glance behind informed Colborne.

Damned, this was not at all good news. Loners were easily picked on. He had to at least find some allies among his house-mates, but of course without letting on how desperate he was about it.

 

The master was an old, thin wizard with cold green eyes. He didn't introduce himself, apparently preferring to set straight to getting to know his new students.

"Ah yes, Boot," he commented after reading out Boot, George's name. "I well remember Anthony Boot. You are his grandson, then?"

"His nephew, Sir," Boot explained. "He is my father's oldest brother."

"Well, I hope you will do your uncle credit." He frowned at the student list. "A Colborne? That's something new. Which one of you is Colborne, John?" He glared at the two remaining first year boys.

"I am, Sir," Colborne confessed forcing himself to meet the master's eyes. He was terrified of teachers.

"Samuel Colborne's son?"

"So they tell me, Sir."

"Tell you?" thundered the master. "Whatever do you mean by that?"

"Well, Sir," It seemed advisable to distance himself as far as possible from his father and whatever it was that he had done to displease people at this school. "Only that I find it hard to think of a man I cannot remember as my father when there is another that I do know and call by that name. It is rather confusing to me, Sir."

He added his best stupid expression for good measure. Until now this had always sufficed to convince adults of his slow-wittedness and gullibility. This new master however gave him a hard and calculating look and with a sinking feeling Colborne realised that the man had seen such tricks before and did not think himself so far above a mere child that he mightn't be outwitted.

"Well, I d hope that you aren't about to disrespect my house by spouting any of his brainless ideas."

"Oh no, Sir," Colborne assured him all wide-eyed stupidity. "I never have any ideas at all. And I am very happy to hear that you don't want me to. My old master was most displeased by my lack of them."

The other students laughed, but the master's calculating look remained. "I find that very hard to believe ... or maybe I shouldn't. You are a Slytherin after all."

The older students' laughter changed very suddenly to a softer, more nervous tone.

"I will be keeping a close eye on you."

 

Things didn't improve from there. Apparently all the other first years already knew some magic.

On the other hand his bad performance should confirm his claim that he couldn't remember his father, Colborne hoped, and maybe the master would even reconsider his doubts of his stupidity. Nevertheless the suppressed giggling of his classmates hurt and Colborne was quite relieved when they were allowed to leave the classroom for lunch.

"So, how's school then?" Harry demanded. "Did you learn any spells yet?"

"No," Colborne confessed. "But all the others already know some."

Harry nodded eagerly. "Slytherin hardly ever gets muggle-borns, so they would be likely to. I think the founder didn't like muggles. Or something like that. My father would know."

Colborne let Harry prattle on and pretended to be too engrossed in the conversation and food to notice that Napier and Wellesley were watching him.

 

Luckily the master spent the afternoon teaching the older students and Colborne was spared any further humiliations. Reading his 'Basic Grammar of Magic' at least wasn't difficult. He idly doodled the various wand movements described in chapter one onto his slate and daydreamed of foreign lands and glorious battles.

The master walked past and glanced at the slate once, but only gave a curt nod and walked on. Apparently it qualified as practising.

Harry was hopping from foot to foot outside the classroom door when they were let out and almost dragged Colborne outside to teach him how to fly a broom. The lesson earned them both several bruises from collisions with each other and various objects and Colborne a fall into the lake, but the worst consequence of it was the disapproval of the prefect who grumbled about Hogwarts prefects not being allowed to flog students and reporting him to the master, if he came in dripping wet all over the carpet ever again.

"A flogging on the very first day," Wellesley commented sounding amused. "I'm sure that would have been a school record. You sure know how to pick your acquaintances, Napier."

Napier ignored him and handed the utterly unimpressed first year a towel to dry his hair. Colborne had been flogged enough not to be bothered by people merely wishing they could do so.

"Empty threats aside," Napier told him, " You also missed the tour of the library and I don't think the prefect's in any mood to give you a private repetition after this stunt."

Colborne shrugged. "Then I will just ask Harry. He'll probably know where it is just as well as the prefect."

"Most likely," Wellesley commented. "But I do doubt he'll be able to teach you how to behave there."

Colborne shrugged again and left the commonroom. He had nowhere else to be, but didn't feel like sitting around among house-mates that didn't like him. He might as well explore the school on his own.

"Well, you've managed to drive him off," Napier commented to Wellesley. "I hope you're satisfied."

Wellesley shrugged. Who was John Colborne after all? The family hadn't even been of any relevance before Samuel Colborne had utterly ruined its name by his ridiculous ideas.


End file.
